diff --git a/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form.ts b/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form.ts
index 1ce5c54759..20568df028 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export class NgForm extends ControlContainer implements Form {
       console.warn(`
       *It looks like you're using the old forms module. This will be opt-in in the next RC, and
       will eventually be removed in favor of the new forms module. For more information, see:
-      https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1RIezQqE4aEhBRmArIAS1mRIZtWFf6JxN_7B4meyWK0Y/pub
+      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RIezQqE4aEhBRmArIAS1mRIZtWFf6JxN_7B4meyWK0Y/preview
     `);
     }
   }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form_model.ts b/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form_model.ts
index b11947809e..8f2c37297c 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form_model.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/common/src/forms-deprecated/directives/ng_form_model.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ export class NgFormModel extends ControlContainer implements Form,
       console.warn(`
       *It looks like you're using the old forms module. This will be opt-in in the next RC, and
       will eventually be removed in favor of the new forms module. For more information, see:
-      https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1RIezQqE4aEhBRmArIAS1mRIZtWFf6JxN_7B4meyWK0Y/pub
+      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RIezQqE4aEhBRmArIAS1mRIZtWFf6JxN_7B4meyWK0Y/preview
     `);
     }
   }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/abstract_form_group_directive.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/abstract_form_group_directive.ts
index ff1734729b..ab5dedeac2 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/abstract_form_group_directive.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/abstract_form_group_directive.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ export class AbstractFormGroupDirective extends ControlContainer implements OnIn
   /** @internal */
   _asyncValidators: any[];
 
-  ngOnInit(): void { this.formDirective.addFormGroup(this); }
+  ngOnInit(): void {
+    this._checkParentType();
+    this.formDirective.addFormGroup(this);
+  }
 
   ngOnDestroy(): void { this.formDirective.removeFormGroup(this); }
 
@@ -51,4 +54,7 @@ export class AbstractFormGroupDirective extends ControlContainer implements OnIn
   get validator(): ValidatorFn { return composeValidators(this._validators); }
 
   get asyncValidator(): AsyncValidatorFn { return composeAsyncValidators(this._asyncValidators); }
+
+  /** @internal */
+  _checkParentType(): void {}
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_array_name.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_array_name.ts
index 48b57edf4b..064667c163 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_array_name.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_array_name.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 import {Directive, Host, Inject, Input, OnDestroy, OnInit, Optional, Self, SkipSelf, forwardRef} from '@angular/core';
 
+import {BaseException} from '../../facade/exceptions';
 import {FormArray} from '../../model';
 import {NG_ASYNC_VALIDATORS, NG_VALIDATORS} from '../../validators';
 import {ControlContainer} from '../control_container';
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import {composeAsyncValidators, composeValidators, controlPath} from '../shared'
 import {AsyncValidatorFn, ValidatorFn} from '../validators';
 
 import {FormGroupDirective} from './form_group_directive';
+import {FormGroupName} from './form_group_name';
 
 export const formArrayNameProvider: any =
     /*@ts2dart_const*/ /* @ts2dart_Provider */ {
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ export class FormArrayName extends ControlContainer implements OnInit, OnDestroy
   @Input('formArrayName') name: string;
 
   constructor(
-      @Host() @SkipSelf() parent: ControlContainer,
+      @Optional() @Host() @SkipSelf() parent: ControlContainer,
       @Optional() @Self() @Inject(NG_VALIDATORS) validators: any[],
       @Optional() @Self() @Inject(NG_ASYNC_VALIDATORS) asyncValidators: any[]) {
     super();
@@ -80,7 +82,10 @@ export class FormArrayName extends ControlContainer implements OnInit, OnDestroy
     this._asyncValidators = asyncValidators;
   }
 
-  ngOnInit(): void { this.formDirective.addFormArray(this); }
+  ngOnInit(): void {
+    this._checkParentType();
+    this.formDirective.addFormArray(this);
+  }
 
   ngOnDestroy(): void { this.formDirective.removeFormArray(this); }
 
@@ -93,4 +98,31 @@ export class FormArrayName extends ControlContainer implements OnInit, OnDestroy
   get validator(): ValidatorFn { return composeValidators(this._validators); }
 
   get asyncValidator(): AsyncValidatorFn { return composeAsyncValidators(this._asyncValidators); }
+
+  private _checkParentType(): void {
+    if (!(this._parent instanceof FormGroupName) && !(this._parent instanceof FormGroupDirective)) {
+      this._throwParentException();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private _throwParentException(): void {
+    throw new BaseException(`formArrayName must be used with a parent formGroup directive.
+                You'll want to add a formGroup directive and pass it an existing FormGroup instance
+                (you can create one in your class).
+
+                Example:
+                <div [formGroup]="myGroup">
+                  <div formArrayName="cities">
+                    <div *ngFor="let city of cityArray.controls; let i=index">
+                      <input [formControlName]="i">
+                    </div>
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+
+                In your class:
+                this.cityArray = new FormArray([new FormControl('SF')]);
+                this.myGroup = new FormGroup({
+                  cities: this.cityArray
+                });`);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_control_name.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_control_name.ts
index 5579c575cf..a8b3ced01a 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_control_name.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_control_name.ts
@@ -9,15 +9,19 @@
 import {Directive, Host, Inject, Input, OnChanges, OnDestroy, Optional, Output, Self, SimpleChanges, SkipSelf, forwardRef} from '@angular/core';
 
 import {EventEmitter, ObservableWrapper} from '../../facade/async';
+import {BaseException} from '../../facade/exceptions';
 import {FormControl} from '../../model';
 import {NG_ASYNC_VALIDATORS, NG_VALIDATORS} from '../../validators';
-
 import {ControlContainer} from '../control_container';
 import {ControlValueAccessor, NG_VALUE_ACCESSOR} from '../control_value_accessor';
 import {NgControl} from '../ng_control';
 import {composeAsyncValidators, composeValidators, controlPath, isPropertyUpdated, selectValueAccessor} from '../shared';
 import {AsyncValidatorFn, ValidatorFn} from '../validators';
 
+import {FormArrayName} from './form_array_name';
+import {FormGroupDirective} from './form_group_directive';
+import {FormGroupName} from './form_group_name';
+
 
 export const controlNameBinding: any =
     /*@ts2dart_const*/ /* @ts2dart_Provider */ {
@@ -105,7 +109,7 @@ export class FormControlName extends NgControl implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
   @Input('ngModel') model: any;
   @Output('ngModelChange') update = new EventEmitter();
 
-  constructor(@Host() @SkipSelf() private _parent: ControlContainer,
+  constructor(@Optional() @Host() @SkipSelf() private _parent: ControlContainer,
               @Optional() @Self() @Inject(NG_VALIDATORS) private _validators:
                   /* Array<Validator|Function> */ any[],
               @Optional() @Self() @Inject(NG_ASYNC_VALIDATORS) private _asyncValidators:
@@ -118,6 +122,7 @@ export class FormControlName extends NgControl implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
 
               ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges) {
                 if (!this._added) {
+                  this._checkParentType();
                   this.formDirective.addControl(this);
                   this._added = true;
                 }
@@ -145,4 +150,29 @@ export class FormControlName extends NgControl implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
               }
 
               get control(): FormControl { return this.formDirective.getControl(this); }
+
+              private _checkParentType(): void {
+                if (!(this._parent instanceof FormGroupName) &&
+                    !(this._parent instanceof FormGroupDirective) &&
+                    !(this._parent instanceof FormArrayName)) {
+                  this._throwParentException();
+                }
+              }
+
+              private _throwParentException(): void {
+                throw new BaseException(
+                    `formControlName must be used with a parent formGroup directive.
+                You'll want to add a formGroup directive and pass it an existing FormGroup instance
+                (you can create one in your class).
+
+                Example:
+                <div [formGroup]="myGroup">
+                  <input formControlName="firstName">
+                </div>
+
+                In your class:
+                this.myGroup = new FormGroup({
+                   firstName: new FormControl()
+                });`);
+              }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_name.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_name.ts
index 779bc873d2..bfe00f0975 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_name.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_name.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@
  */
 
 import {Directive, Host, Inject, Input, OnDestroy, OnInit, Optional, Self, SkipSelf, forwardRef} from '@angular/core';
+
+import {BaseException} from '../../facade/exceptions';
 import {NG_ASYNC_VALIDATORS, NG_VALIDATORS} from '../../validators';
 import {AbstractFormGroupDirective} from '../abstract_form_group_directive';
 import {ControlContainer} from '../control_container';
 
+import {FormGroupDirective} from './form_group_directive';
+
 export const formGroupNameProvider: any =
     /*@ts2dart_const*/ /* @ts2dart_Provider */ {
       provide: ControlContainer,
@@ -70,7 +74,7 @@ export class FormGroupName extends AbstractFormGroupDirective implements OnInit,
   @Input('formGroupName') name: string;
 
   constructor(
-      @Host() @SkipSelf() parent: ControlContainer,
+      @Optional() @Host() @SkipSelf() parent: ControlContainer,
       @Optional() @Self() @Inject(NG_VALIDATORS) validators: any[],
       @Optional() @Self() @Inject(NG_ASYNC_VALIDATORS) asyncValidators: any[]) {
     super();
@@ -78,4 +82,29 @@ export class FormGroupName extends AbstractFormGroupDirective implements OnInit,
     this._validators = validators;
     this._asyncValidators = asyncValidators;
   }
+
+  /** @internal */
+  _checkParentType(): void {
+    if (!(this._parent instanceof FormGroupName) && !(this._parent instanceof FormGroupDirective)) {
+      this._throwParentException();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private _throwParentException() {
+    throw new BaseException(`formGroupName must be used with a parent formGroup directive.
+                You'll want to add a formGroup directive and pass it an existing FormGroup instance
+                (you can create one in your class).
+
+                Example:
+                <div [formGroup]="myGroup">
+                  <div formGroupName="person">
+                    <input formControlName="firstName">
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+
+                In your class:
+                this.myGroup = new FormGroup({
+                  person: new FormGroup({ firstName: new FormControl() })
+                });`);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts
index aca8273d8b..492eb481e4 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts
@@ -43,21 +43,6 @@ export function main() {
              });
            }));
 
-    it('should throw if a form isn\'t passed into formGroup',
-       inject(
-           [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
-           (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
-             const t = `<div [formGroup]="form">
-                <input type="text" formControlName="login">
-               </div>`;
-
-             tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
-               expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
-                   .toThrowError(new RegExp(`formGroup expects a FormGroup instance`));
-               async.done();
-             });
-           }));
-
     it('should update the form group values on DOM change',
        inject(
            [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
@@ -623,23 +608,6 @@ export function main() {
                });
              }));
 
-      it('should throw if radio button name does not match formControlName attr',
-         inject(
-             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
-             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
-               const t = `<form [formGroup]="form">
-                  <input type="radio" formControlName="food" name="drink" value="chicken">
-                </form>`;
-
-               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
-                 fixture.debugElement.componentInstance.form =
-                     new FormGroup({'food': new FormControl('fish')});
-                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
-                     .toThrowError(new RegExp('If you define both a name and a formControlName'));
-                 async.done();
-               });
-             }));
-
       it('should support removing controls from <type=radio>',
          inject(
              [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
@@ -1162,6 +1130,139 @@ export function main() {
          // selection start has not changed because we did not reset the value
          expect(input.selectionStart).toEqual(1);
        })));
+
+    describe('errors', () => {
+
+      it('should throw if a form isn\'t passed into formGroup',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<div [formGroup]="form">
+                <input type="text" formControlName="login">
+               </div>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(`formGroup expects a FormGroup instance`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if formControlName is used without a control container',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<input type="text" formControlName="login">`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(
+                         `formControlName must be used with a parent formGroup directive`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if formGroupName is used without a control container',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<div formGroupName="person">
+                <input type="text" formControlName="login">
+               </div>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(
+                         `formGroupName must be used with a parent formGroup directive`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if formArrayName is used without a control container',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<div formArrayName="cities">
+                <input type="text" formControlName="login">
+               </div>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(
+                         `formArrayName must be used with a parent formGroup directive`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if formControlName is used with the wrong control container',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<form>
+                <input type="text" formControlName="login">
+               </form>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(
+                         `formControlName must be used with a parent formGroup directive.`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if formGroupName is used with the wrong control container',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<form>
+            <div formGroupName="person">
+              <input type="text" formControlName="login">
+            </div>
+          </form>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(
+                         `formGroupName must be used with a parent formGroup directive.`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if formArrayName is used with the wrong control container',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<form>
+            <div formArrayName="person">
+              <input type="text" formControlName="login">
+            </div>
+          </form>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp(
+                         `formArrayName must be used with a parent formGroup directive.`));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+
+      it('should throw if radio button name does not match formControlName attr',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<form [formGroup]="form">
+                  <input type="radio" formControlName="food" name="drink" value="chicken">
+                </form>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createAsync(MyComp8).then((fixture) => {
+                 fixture.debugElement.componentInstance.form =
+                     new FormGroup({'food': new FormControl('fish')});
+                 expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
+                     .toThrowError(new RegExp('If you define both a name and a formControlName'));
+                 async.done();
+               });
+             }));
+    });
   });
 }